Seattle, WA vs Jacksonville, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA and Jacksonville, FL spend within 9.6% of each other per resident — $34,463 versus $31,456 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Seattle, WA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 61/100 (grade C) against 53/100 (grade C) for Jacksonville, FL — a 8-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Seattle, WA carries the lighter load at $1,100 per resident versus $2,821 for Jacksonville, FL. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Seattle, WA leads with parks and recreation at $3,923 per resident, while Jacksonville, FL leads with fire protection at $9,436.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 13% of total revenue in Seattle, WA and 14% in Jacksonville, FL.
Summary
Seattle spends 9.6% more per capita than Jacksonville ($3,006/person difference). Seattle, WA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 61/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1,831 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $1,094 | $233 |
| Income Tax | $3,496 | $762 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,846 | $7,348 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,960 | $2,119 |
| Other | $8,544 | $4,705 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $18 |
| Fire Protection | $210 | $9,436 |
| Education | $1,461 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $3,439 | $486 |
| Health | $1,131 | $332 |
| Hospitals | $1,871 | $557 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,923 | $1,329 |
| Housing | $3,727 | $5,572 |
| Sewerage | $952 | $176 |
| Utilities | $6,489 | $1,835 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,942 |
| Other | $11,260 | $9,771 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.